SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Veronica Burton scored 19 of her 25 points in the first half as Golden State quickly built a big lead and also dished out eight assists, Gabby Williams added 25 points, and the Valkyries held off the Phoenix Mercury for an 87-81 win Tuesday night.

Burton made 5 of her 7 shots in the initial two quarters and finished 7 for 15 from the floor. Janelle Salaun contributed 11 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Valkyries, who shot 57.1% on the way to a 49-32 lead at intermission and 44.3% for the game.

Williams' 3-pointer with 5:58 to play put the Valkyries ahead 74-67, then she found Kaila Charles for a key layup with 2:26 left. Kayla Thornton's 3 the next time down helped seal it before Williams converted a three-point play moments later.

Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes went down with 5:13 left in the second quarter after a collision but later returned. The Valkyries had lost two in a row and led by as many as 18 but were threatened in this one after Phoenix's 29-point third quarter cut the lead to 66-61 going into the final 10 minutes.

Alyssa Thomas started and finished with 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Mercury after dealing with a left calf injury and missing Friday's game at Portland. She was whistled for a technical foul 1:47 before halftime, then Kahleah Copper got a technical with 56 seconds remaining.

Monique Akoa Makani scored 19 points and Natasha Mack grabbed 10 rebounds for Phoenix, which had won two straight following a six-game skid. The Mercury, who lost 95-79 at Chase Center on May 10 in the Valkyries' home opener, committed 16 turnovers that led to 17 points for Golden State. The teams will face off again July 29 in Phoenix.

The Mercury dropped to 3-2 on the road against the Western Conference.

Up next

Mercury: Visit Dallas on Thursday night.

Valkyries: Visit Seattle on Friday night.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Daylen Lile hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning after CJ Abrams' tying base hit, and the Washington Nationals rallied against closer Keaton Winn to spoil Logan Webb's impressive outing and beat the San FRancisco Giants 4-3 on Monday night.

Pitching for the third straight day, Winn (2-2) couldn't hold a two-run lead. He gave up a one-out double to Luis García Jr. and hit Curtis Mead with a pitch to put the tying runs on base. A passed ball advanced both runners, who scored on Abrams’ single.

One out later, Abrams stole second and scored when Lile singled up the middle.

Bryce Eldridge hit a go-ahead double in the eighth against winner Clayton Beeter (2-1) after Jung Hoo Lee beat out an infield single.

Gus Varland struck out Eldridge to secure his fifth save, stranding runners at corners.

Webb, an All-Star the past two years who was trying to win consecutive starts for the first time this season, struck out seven and didn't walk a batter over eight innings. He allowed one run and five hits.

The right-hander struck out four of the first five Nationals hitters and retired the first six in all before Keibert Ruiz singled leading off the third. Jorbit Vivas followed by grounding into a double play, and Webb escaped the inning unscathed.

Lee extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games with a fourth-inning single in a game featuring a steady drizzle in the early innings with gray clouds and wind for the duration. He finished with four hits.

García broke up a scoreless pitchers' duel with an RBI single in the sixth off Webb, then the Giants tied it on Matt Chapman's single in the bottom half.

Miles Mikolas followed Washington opener Richard Lovelady to begin the second and pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings before the Giants got three straight two-out hits against Mitchell Parker.

San Francisco arrived home early Monday morning from Sunday night's series finale in Chicago and a 10-game trip.

In a scary moment, Lile and center fielder Dylan Crews collided at the left-center wall as Crews made a catch on Eldridge's deep fly in the fourth. Both stayed in the game.

Up next

LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.54 ERA) pitches Tuesday night for the Nationals opposite San Francisco RHP Adrian Houser (2-5, 5.49).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB